The recent demolition of the Huddle House Restaurant and the closing of Hardee’s Restaurant along U.S. Highway 63/Bishop Avenue in addition to the demolition of several structures in the old Powell Subdivision makes it obvious that there are significant changes occurring in Rolla. One of the key projects of the Move Rolla Transportation Development District includes the realignment of University Drive from its current location on the old 14th Street corridor to a new alignment closer to 12th Street – part of the larger vision of a new “arrival district” for both Phelps Health and Missouri S&T.
Rolla residents have consistently rated transportation (congestion relief) as the top focus of City efforts through community surveys over the last 18 years. S&T has prepared a grand masterplan for the campus that includes a new arrival district off Interstate 44/Highway E based on the goal of expanding student enrollment from 8,000 to 12,000 students. Phelps Health is working on plans to redirect the primary access for the Hospital from 10th Street to 13th Street. Those efforts have culminated in a new vision and design called “University Drive Realignment” which extends from I-44 to Bishop Avenue – an important piece of the MoveRolla Transportation Strategy that began in 2015.
All property has been acquired for the University Drive relocation, including Hardee’s, and the project has been bid and awarded to Maggi Construction for $2,884,921 with a completion date of May 2022. With a total project expense in excess of $8,000,000 the University and MRTDD partnered on the funding of this project. Missouri S&T will also be responsible for the landscaping of same. This jointly funded project will also promote economic development and provide corridor traffic, safety and visual enhancements to Highway 63 and its periphery. This particular project will be well integrated with the University’s future vision, facility master plan and its growth projections.
The Move Rolla strategy provides a multimodal transportation network for Rolla’s primary transportation routes and enhances the opportunity for future growth. The primary purposes of the strategy are to: 1) Improve mobility and safety for all modes of transportation; 2) Connect major activity centers; 3) Maximize economic development opportunities; and 4) Provide aesthetic improvements to enhance Rolla’s identity and help create a “sense of place.”
When fully implemented the strategy will be an investment of $32,000,000 over a 5-year period funded in large part by the 1-cent transportation development district overlay sales tax approved in 2017. The Highway 72 extension and Westside Market Place have been completed with widespread citizen approval. The new pedestrian bridge over I-44 was completed in early 2021. Much needed improvements to Kingshighway are in their final stages. The last two core projects of the Move Rolla Transportation Strategy are the University Drive realignment and improved access along Pine Street from Bishop Avenue to 6th Street through the heart of Downtown.
